No Class Pariah
by cdbazemore98
Summary: Unofficial Sequel to No Class Monster. Everyone thought and hoped that the drama that was NCE was over for good this time. However, the pain and memories still haunt little Russell months later. As the New Year rolls around, Rudy makes a fatal mistake that causes Russell's life to be on the line. Extremely guilty, Rudy leaves North Philly, but only gets into more trouble..
1. Prologue

**Hey, hey, hey! It's time for a brand new story! I'm still working on Just Another Summer, so hang on tight for that one. As for this one, this is gonna be one of those serious and dark stories that I often do, so I have some experience.**

**For those of you who haven't been catching up, this is the third story for No Class Ever and No Class Monster.. sort of. It's kinda meant to be noncanon, and at the same time, not. But whether you consider it part of that universe, that's your choice.**

**If you haven't read those stories, I suggest you go and do that so that you'll get a better understanding of what happens in this story. If you want to go in blind, that's fine too. But for those who HAVE read NCE and NCM, this takes place a few more months after the events of NCM.**

**As it turns out, Russell is still having trouble forgetting the events of that summer and the school semester to follow. Rudy isn't doing much better. And then it all caves when Rudy does something that nearly costs Russell's life. Because of this, Rudy feels extremely guilty, and runs away to better himself... only, he realizes that doing is not a good idea.**

**And that's all you're getting from me. If you want to know more, you'll have to read the story. So... enjoy!**

**Warning: This story will contain mature themes...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's**

Prologue

_... Hi. My name is Rudolph Davis... but you can call me Rudy for short. And this is the story of how my poor choices screwed everything_

_You see, it all started last summer when my friends and I were hanging out in the junkyard when a certain little shrimp by the name of Russell decided to play a prank on me. Nearly made me destroy my own guitar. I was constantly belittled by that kid, and that day... something happened._

_Russell always tells me that I'm like a school on Saturday... no class. And to be honest, I'm used to it, no matter how much it pisses me off. But this particular day... he said this..._

_No Class Ever._

_I dunno what was going through my mind that day, but something about those words set me all the way off. I completely lost it and started beating the crap out of the little shrimp, to the point where he was bruised and bloody all over. I guess I was so mad, that I felt offended when everyone was babying Russell and siding with him._

_Even my own mom was against me._

_I was pissed off for a few days until I realized that what I did was really wrong, and so, I aimed to better myself... that is until school rolled around again. Somehow, the news of what happened between me and Russell got out, and while everyone was giving Russell sympathy, I was hated, teased, and mocked for what I did._

_I got really pissed again and started to blame Russell for my misery, to the point where I hurt him again. And again, I soon realized that I screwed up again, and aimed to better myself again, especially after I nearly did something unforgivable... don't ask._

_It's now a few months later, and it's the new year. Snow has fallen... and is currently surrounding me as I write this... I'm not home right now... and from the looks of it... I won't be coming home for a long time..._

_Because this time... I really screwed up. And there's no turning back..._

_Now... the only thing I have is to look out for myself because I have nothing. And after what I did... I deserve nothing..._

_That's all for now..._

_Sincerely, Rudy..._

Rudy closed the notebook and put it back in his backpack, shivering from the snowy breeze that blew by him. He crawled out of the little shelter he made, and stood up, walking through the alley. He had no idea where he was, or how far he was from North Philly.

All he knew... was that he wasn't turning back... not for a long time...

And he couldn't go back. Not after what he did...

They hated him...

They all hated him...

And he didn't blame them one bit...

Especially considering what had happened...

And because of him... one small little boy was fighting for his life...

"Oh... Russell..." he sighed, cold tears streaming down his face, "I'm so sorry..."

**Already some heavy stuff. So you're probably wondering what in the world Rudy did that now has Russell fighting for his life. Well, you're sure to find out soon enough. Until then, I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you. **


	2. Chapter 1: Rudy's Fatal Mistake

**Good day! And welcome to the first official chapter of NCP. This is where we'll get some of the answers of what happened, and what'll result from it. And let me tell ya... things are gonna get real tough real quick. I hope you can handle it and keep up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 1: Rudy's Fatal Mistake

A few days earlier...

Snow was falling softly on the grounds of North Philly. The new year had officially come this past weekend, and it was now 1979. And very soon, school would be starting back up for the kids, as their Christmas break was coming to an end.

So of course, eight young boys would take this chance to have fun.

They were currently in the junkyard, having a snowball fight.

"Hey, hey, hey! What a fun snow day!" The said always gentle Fat Albert before he was hit by a snowball. He in return threw one of his own, towards Bill, who dodged it.

"Missed me!" He said, before throwing another snowball at Rudy.

The rich boy ducked as it flew over his head, "Ha! Ha! Miss me, miss me! Now you gotta-" He was interrupted when another snowball hit him square in the lips.

That one was courtesy of Harold, who grinned, "There's your kiss."

"Three in one attack!"

Suddenly, Donald, Bucky, and Mush all came running and throwing snowballs at the others. This resulted in an all-out war between the teenagers. Snowballs went flying left and right, but they were all having fun while doing it.

The only one not engaged in the fun and games was Bill's younger brother, Russell. He was off to the side, near the clubhouse, making a snowman. As much as he would have liked to be involved in the snowball war, he felt rather intimidated by it all. Not to mention, he wasn't in the mood to be hit with a snowball, mostly because it reminded him of certain events that happened a few months prior to now.

Long story short, he and Rudy had some issues with each other that resulted in pain, suffering, and dark thoughts. But now, things were better, and he and Rudy were getting along... just barely. Whenever Russell told the rich boy he had no class, Rudy in return just glared.

But even though the stuff was over, Russell still remembered it like it was yesterday. The punches, the kicks, the cuts, the bruises, the blood... it was all too much, and he couldn't believe that it even happened.

And... he was still struggling with it all...

On the outside, he appeared to be happy and well recovered from the pain Rudy caused him... but on the inside... the pain was still real. Although he managed to patch things up with Rudy, he still felt like the older boy hated him to some degree.

Russell never mentions this to anybody, not even Bill, but he still has nightmares about that summer day. To the point where he would wake up in a cold sweat. The thoughts about the incident kept him from enjoying any of the holidays that had come and gone. Not Halloween, not Thanksgiving, not even Christmas or the New Years.

All because the only thing on his mind... was Rudy's assault on him...

The incident that started when Russell said three words...

No class ever...

He wondered that if he hadn't said those words, then maybe things wouldn't be this way. He started to wonder if it was his fault, even though his brother kept saying otherwise.

Russell sighed as he started to put the finishing touches on his snowman, hoping that the activity would take his mind off of his worries. He hoped that things would get better... but at the same time, feared that there would be something that'll make him snap...

Suddenly, the little boy heard a yell, and before he knew it, someone crashed into his snowman, knocking it down. It was Rudy, who had jumped to avoid a snowball.

"I got protection!" The rich boy laughed.

Russell frowned deeply, "Rudy! What's the matter with you?! You wrecked my snowman!"

Rudy got up and shook the snow off of himself, just as the others came by, "Hey, hey, hey. You okay?" Albert asked.

"Yeah. I'm good. The snow wall broke my fall." Was Rudy's response.

Russell scowled, "It wasn't a snow wall! It was my snowman! And you destroyed him!"

But Rudy didn't appear to hear him as he walked away, but Russell quickly grabbed the back of his burgundy winter coat, "Hey! Hey! I'm talking to you! You wrecked my snowman!"

"Uh, do you mind?" Rudy asked with annoyance, pulling his coat away from the child's grip, "This coat isn't cheap, y'know. You could have wrinkled it, and it isn't easy to iron."

Russell's face started to get red with anger, "You wreck my snowman, and instead of apologizing, you complain that I might wrinkle your COAT?! Are you kidding me right now?!"

"Geez, Russell. I'm sorry. It was just a snowman."

"It took me a long while to fix him up, and you just had to knock him back down!"

"It was an accident! Calm down!"

Immediately, Albert and Bill got in between the boys to prevent a fight. Bill bent down to his brothers level to calm him down, "It's okay, Rus. You can just rebuild your snowman." He said softly.

"Yeah!" Rudy agreed, "You're acting like I killed the stupid thing!"

That really got Russell mad, "He WASN'T stupid! And it's funny that mention killing, considering how you almost killed me six months ago!"

Rudy frowned deeply at being reminded of that, "Yeah... thanks for bringing that up. As if I needed another reminder. I served you for a month, Russell. I made up for my mistakes. What more do you want?"

"I want you to fix my snowman!" The child demanded.

"What?! No! I ain't got the time to build a snowman. Just build it yourself!"

Rudy felt his right hand shaking, as he clenched it tightly. He feared that if Russell pushed him further, he was gonna end up doing something again, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Cool it, you two." Albert said, "It's not a big deal. Rudy, why don't you help Russell with his snowman?"

Rudy glared, "Why me? I fell on it by accident, I dunno why he's so upset over it."

"BECAUSE I WORKED HARD ON IT!" Russell screamed, tearing from his brother's grip, and storming up to Rudy, "And because it's like my safe haven! You might not notice, but I haven't gotten over what you did to me last summer! I still think about it! I still have nightmares about it! And I still feel like you hate me! It's ALL I think about now! So excuse me if I'm a little upset right now!"

The rich boy groaned a little, "You think it's any better for me? I've been through a lot too, y'know! But sure, your feelings matter more than mine! I thought we were over this mess! You're the one who's overreacting now, Russell!"

"I AM NOT! I AM SUFFERING!" Russell's rage was getting out of control, as Bill reached to grab his shoulder, only for Russell to move closer to the rich boy, "I thought you'd understand, but clearly you don't! You are like school during a blizzard!" he then forcefully poked Rudy, "No cla-"

SLAP!

It echoed throughout the junkyard. The boys starred in absolute horror. Russell fell into the snow, a dark red hand mark on his left cheek. Rudy was shaking, his hand raised, and he was growling slightly.

"Shut up, shrimp!" He sneered, "Before I really give you something to whine about! You have NCE... No. Class. Ever..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Rudy soon realized what he just did. His anger soon melted away like snow as he lowered his hand, staring at the little boy on the ground, "Russell... I..."

Tears started to stream down Russell's cheeks... before he bursts into uncontrollable sobs. Seeing that broke Rudy's heart as he reached down to touch him, over for Bill to smack him away, "Don't you dare touch him!" He warned.

"I... I... I didn't mean it..." He stuttered, "I... I-I..."

Suddenly, Russell got up and bolted out of the Junkyard, "Russell! Russell! Come back!" Bill caused as he ran after his brother.

"Wow, Rudy. That was uncool..." Harold shook his head.

"How could you do that? After everything Russell's been through...?" Bucky asked in disbelief.

Rudy looked ashamed, "I didn't mean to do that. I just lost it. I tried not to, but I just did."

However, his efforts to explain himself didn't phase the others, as they soon left the junkyard, even Donald, much to Rudy's shock, "Wait! Donald, you believe me right?" He asked with hope.

Unfortunately, Donald looked at his best friend with a frown, "I-I-I-I agree w-w-with Harold. That was uncool. E-Even for you..."

Rudy couldn't believe the others were just turning against him again. It was summer all over again. He then looked at Albert, "Albert...?"

"You really messed up there, Rudy..." Albert said, "... but I know you didn't mean to let it happen."

The rich boy felt relieved that the kind problem solver knew that it was an accident, even if he didn't approve of it. Albert put a hand on his shoulder, "Let's help find Russell before he gets into trouble."

With that, the two boys joined the others. At this point, Russell had disappeared from sight, so they resorted to searching all over the town, and calling his name. Rudy prayed that nothing happened. If it did, then he would never forgive himself.

As he searched through the area, he came across a bridge spanning across the river. It wasn't until he looked closer, to see someone on the walkway beside the bridge, leaning against the railing.

And it didn't take him long to realize who it was...

"Russell!" He called, running closer, "Don't jump!"

Russell looked over at the older boy, and held his hand up as if to say, 'Stand back'. But Rudy wasn't going to let this happen as he moved closer, "Russell, please! I'm sorry for smacking you like that. I didn't mean to do it. I just lost it! Just come back down and towards me... please..."

The child stood there... sobbing softly. Rudy soon held his hand out for Russell to take it...

But he didn't...

And before Rudy knew it, the second he blinked... Russell was gone...

"NO! No, no, no, no, no, no..."

Rudy rushed over to the railing, just as he heard a splash. By that time... the others came over, "Rudy! What happened?" Albert asked with worry.

But the rich boy could only stare in horror down at the river. It was all the other boys needed to know what had happened... and they were horrified too...

**Uh oh. Russell has officially lost it, thanks to Rudy once again, and this time, Rudy is actually remorseful, as he didn't mean to let his temper get the best of him. Next chapter will be a whirlwind of emotions, and we'll see the outcome of Russell's big jump. Until then, I'll see you guys later. And don't forget to review, please. Thank you. **


	3. Chapter 2: What Have I Done?

**Hey guys! Here's the second chapter of NCP. This is gonna be the aftermath of Russell's big jump, and how everyone is affected by the incident. And more importantly, how Rudy is affected. There's definitely gonna be some heavy emotions here. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 2: What Have I Done?

It was only about twenty minutes...

But it was a long twenty minutes...

Twenty minutes that it took to find Russell...

To rescue him...

... Just barely...

After the boys realized that he jumped off the bridge, they quickly made a call for police, ambulance, and rescue team. All in those twenty minutes, they were able to find Russell as he clung to a tree branch in the freezing water, apparently regretting his decision.

Rudy was relieved... but it appeared that Russell was barely alive when rescued. After he was taken to the hospital, and the older boys were answering questions, they were left alone... praying that Russell would pull through...

"Guys... I... I'm so sorry..." Rudy tried to say, even reaching out to touch Bill's shoulder... to which the Cosby boy recoiled in anger.

"You just never know when to stop, do you?!" He growled, "Hurting Russell all those months ago was bad enough, but now you go and make him suicidal AGAIN! And now, my brother might be dying, all because of YOU!"

Rudy didn't object, as he knew he deserved it. Bill then proceeded to yell at the rich boy, calling him every curse word he knew. The others watched, not wanting to intervene, although Albert tried (and failed) to calm Bill down. Rudy just stood and took every insult that was hurled his way. He messed up seriously this time, and he knew it.

But there came a point where he had enough, and just... walked away...

Tears streamed down the rich boy's cheeks as he trudged in the snow. It had been a good hour or so since Russell's incident, and he was sure some people in town knew about it. He wondered how his parents would react to the news...

As he approached his house, Rudy took a deep breath, wiping away the tears, before opening the door.

"Rudy...?"

As he entered the living room, he saw his mother and father on the couch, as his mother put the house phone down, "Oh Rudy. We heard about what happened to Russell!" She said, standing to hug her son, "I'm so sorry..."

"Let's pray that he makes it." His father added.

Rudy frowned. They had no idea of why Russell jumped, "Mom... Dad... about that... Russell jumped... and it was all my fault!"

Mr. And Mrs. Davis looked at their child in confusion, "What are you talking about, dear?" Mis mother asked.

To the best of his ability, Rudy explained everything, from the snowman, to the slap, and finally to the bridge. As he did, he watched his parent's expression go from shocked to worry once he finished explaining.

"I don't know why... I just snapped..." He admitted in tears, "I didn't mean to hit him, really I didn't! And now he's sick because I couldn't keep my temper in check. And the whole gang hates me for it! And I deserve it! I deserve it for what I did!"

Mrs. Davis once again hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly, "We know, sweetheart... we know you didn't mean to hurt Russell..." She said softly, "There now, it's okay..."

"And I'm sure Russell knows that you didn't mean it either." Mr. Davis added, "And when he gets better, you can talk to him and apologize..."

"As if he'll forgive me..." Rudy muttered, "I don't deserve forgiveness... I... I need to go lie down..."

With that, the boy walked to his room, as his worried parents watched. Rudy flopped on his bed, staring out the window. Snow continued to fall freely outside. But it didn't make him feel better. In fact, it made him feel worse. Mostly for the fact that Russell had jumped into freezing water. He was sure the child had hypothermia...

How the heck was he ever gonna recover from this?

He made a child suicidal and how his little life is nearly whisking away because of him. All because he couldn't keep his temper in check. Rudy started to hate himself for what he did. He has done damage before, but this was damage that was going to last...

And the thought of that caused more tears to stream down his face as sat he sat up again. Another thought that came up was the rest of the gang. He knew for sure that Bill absolutely hated him for what happened to his little brother. Harold, Bucky, Donald, and Mush seem to have wanted to avoid him. And Albert might be the only one who doesn't demonize him for it.

But Rudy knew that he didn't deserve any sympathy they had to offer if any at all.

"I really messed up this time..." He said to himself, "I really do have no class..."

The next morning, Rudy felt too miserable to get out of bed, let alone leave his room. Even as his mother encouraged him to go outside and enjoy the snow, he refused. He was afraid to step outside. By now, people had to have known about the incident and knew him as the one who drove Russell Cosby to attempt suicide.

And he was wasn't gonna risk getting jumped for that.

But by that afternoon, after more coaxing, Rudy eventually gave in, and after having something to eat, he walked out of his house for the first time since the day before.

As he walked through the snow, he passed by some people, and although he didn't see their faces, he felt like they stared at him with anger and disgust. And he didn't blame them for it if that was the case.

_Let them stare... _He thought, _Let them look like me like I'm some criminal..._

Soon, he made it to the junkyard. As expected, he saw the other dudes (minus Russell for obvious reasons) having a snowball fight. He wanted to join in but knew he would be shunned if he even tried. Still, he needed something to take his mind off of his troubles.

And so, Rudy made a snowball and threw it at one of the guys. Much to his dismay, he hit the one person he was hoping to not hit at all.

Bill...

And when the Cosby boy turned to see who threw the snowball at him, he instantly sent a death glare towards that person. If looks could kill, Rudy would have been dead on the spot.

In fact, everyone frowned at the sight of the rich boy. While everyone's stares weren't as stone-cold as Bill's, they sure held some sort of hostility, and Rudy could see it very clearly. There was some silence between all of the boys until Albert decided to break the silence.

"Hey, hey, hey, Rudy. Where've you been all day?"

"I... uh... I... I overslept." Was Rudy's excuse, "I've been pretty tired... y'know..."

Bill scoffed as his glare deepened, "That's a lie if I've ever heard one. He was just too scared to show his face after what he did to my brother! I'm actually surprised he even left his home. He would be much safer there!"

That's when the boy started to advance towards Rudy, his fists clenched with vengeful intent. The rich boy himself started to back away in fear, until Albert and Harold reached out to hold Bill back, "Cool it!" Albert warned, "It's not worth it..."

"Yeah, man." Harold added, "We know you're mad, but don't take it out on Rudy."

"Why shouldn't I?!" Bill sneered, "He's the reason my brother's in the hospital! All because he couldn't keep himself under control!"

Rudy said nothing. Because what Bill said was true. But now that he brought Russell up, he had to ask about his condition, "Um... how is Russell doing? Is he... gonna be okay...?"

"... If you must know... he's stable, and the doctors were able to save him last minute... but he's in a coma... and they have no idea if he's ever come out of it..." Bill forced his way out of the other's grip as he walked towards Rudy again, stopping just as their faces were inches apart, "Meaning... if my brother dies... then it's all your fault! You hear me?! You are responsible if Rus doesn't make it out of this alive! So I suggest you keep your distance if that's the case!"

The rich boy gulped as he backed away. Tears yet again threatened to fall. Once again, the things he was hearing, he knew to be true. If Russell died, then it _would _be his fault. He drove this little boy to attempt to kill himself. He... would be a _murderer... _

"Bill..." Albert said softly, "Take it easy..."

But it was too late, as Rudy turned and ran out of the junkyard. Coming there in the first place was a mistake, and he knew it. He knew the others, Bill especially, wouldn't forget what happened. Why did he think that they would welcome him back with open arms after what he did? Why was he so stupid?

_I don't deserve to be around them... _He thought miserably. _I basically already killed Russell, so they hate me for it. And I should take Bill's advice about keeping my distance... or else Russell's not the only one who's gonna be dead..._

The teen continued to run and run until he stopped to catch his breath in the park. He sat down at a bench. The rich boy tried to slow his heartbeat and keep himself from crying. He had no idea what to do at this point... he couldn't go back to the junkyard. He couldn't just retreat back home as his mother basically shoved him out the door to play.

Who else could he turn to...?

As he thought, he noticed someone sit next to him, and recognized them well, "Mudfoot... hi..."

"Howdy, boy." The old man greeted with a smile, "I heard 'bout Russell. Hope the little fella is doing well..."

Rudy frowned deeply, "No... he's in a coma... all because of me. I got mad at him yesterday and hit him, so he ran off and jumped off a bridge. He tried to kill himself, Mudfoot. All because of me! I didn't mean to hurt him, really I didn't! And now everyone hates me for it! And... I just don't know what to do...!"

The teen all but collapsed on the bench, as Mudfoot patted him on the head, "I believe you, Rudy. We all do things we don't mean and we end up causing more trouble than we expect."

"But... if he dies! Then doesn't that make me... a murderer?"

"Rudy, I've known you for a while now. And you're a lot of things. You're loud... you're strong-headed... you're stubborn... you're small-minded..."

"Okay! I get it! What's your point?!"

"I'm just saying... you're a lot of things. But what you're not, is a killer. You say you had no intention of hurting little Russell, right? Well, it's not really murder if you didn't intend to. It's more of manslaughter."

Rudy looked at the man, not feeling any better, "That doesn't sound any better, Mudfoot. I'm scared. I've already caused enough problems for Russell as it is. If he dies, then people are REALLY gonna hate me for it! Bill already hates me! Russell is his little brother for crying out loud!"

Mudfoot nodded, "I don't think Bill really hates _you_... he hates what happened to his brother, and he's just taking his anger out on you. I say give it some time, and he'll get over his anger. But don't let it all get to you either. Just keep your head up, pray, and everything will get better."

"You... you really think so?"

"Of course. We all have those days. I've done some things I'm not proud of either. But I'm not moping over it."

_Yeah. Whatever you did probably didn't cause someone to nearly die... _Rudy thought bitterly, "Well... I guess you have a point... I'll... I'll try to keep my head up. Russell... he'll be fine. He'll get better, and things will be back to normal. Thanks, Mudfoot. You've really helped me."

Mudfoot just smiled as he watched the teen get up and walk away, "Always happy to help..."

"Maybe he's right..." The rich boy said to himself, "Maybe things will get better. Maybe Russell won't die. He'll heal, and maybe everyone will stop hating me. I just gotta think positive... not let any negative thought bring me down... yeah, that's it..."

**Good ol' Mudfoot with the good advice. He knows how to get through to the young folk. And Rudy is taking his advice to heart, as the boy now thinks that things will indeed get better. Well... they might... but it's not gonna be as easy as he now thinks it is. And next chapter, he's gonna find out why. Until then, I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	4. Chapter 3: School of Coldness

**Hello there, peeps! It's starting to get cold in my area, so I've decided to post a chapter of NCP that takes place in the cold weather. School is starting back up for the North Philly kids as the new semester has begun, despite the snowy weather. You're really gonna feel sorry for Rudy this chapter, as we see everyone else's reaction to what happened to Russell. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 3: School of Coldness

After the weekend that rolled around, school was back in session for the North Philly kids. Despite the still snowy weather, the roads were at least deemed safe enough for the students to travel. Not to mention, the second semester needed to start at some point.

Rudy was NOT looking forward to attending school. Not for the usual reasons, but for the fear of how other people would act around him. No doubt that most of the students around knew about what happened. After they found out about that summer, how couldn't they find out what happened not too long ago?

As much as he didn't want to, he was basically forced out of the house by his parents. The rich boy trudged his way to school. Thankfully it wasn't snowing at the moment, but that didn't make things any better. He just hoped he could make it through the week without getting killed, _"_You're gonna be okay, Rudy..." He said to himself, "Things will get better. Just like Mudfoot said. Don't worry yourself..."

When he stopped at a red light, he happened to notice something walking towards him. He instantly recognized her as Elaine Withrow. He knew how Donald had been crushing on her for a long time and hoped to go out with her. But she seemed to have her sights on Hammerhead Rex at the moment.

"Oh. Hi, Elaine-"

SLAP!

Before Rudy knew it, he was on the sidewalk, rubbing his cheek. A red handmark slowly started to form where he was struck. He looked up at Elaine, who glared down at him, "You monster!" She exclaimed, "How could you?!"

"Huh?"

"Don't act like you don't know! I heard about what happened to Russell! How could you do that to him?!"

The rich boy frowned as he slowly got up, "Listen. I didn't mean for that to happen. I..."

Elaine scoffed, "Oh, sure. And I suppose you didn't mean to beat him up last summer, right? You didn't _mean _to beat the poor baby to such a bloody pulp, that he nearly died. Is that right?"

"I know I screwed up then. But this time, I really did not want this. I got mad, and I hit him by mistake!"

"Everything's a mistake with you, Rudy. And you don't start feeling bad until someone gets hurt. You better hope Russell pulls through... if not, then we all know who's the blame!"

With that, the girl strolled off. Rudy decided that it wasn't worth it following her to school. So he chose to take another way. Now he knew how most of the girls might feel about him.

"Don't let that get to you..." He said to himself, "Like Mudfoot said, things will get better. Just... act normal. Don't even bring up Russell. Maybe not everyone knows what happened."

Soon, he arrived to Maywood. The second he pushed open the doors and walked inside, everyone in the hallway turned to face him. He flinched at most of the cold stares, before pulling his hat over his eyes, and making his way to his locker. After putting in the combination and opening it, he reached in to grab the books needed for class.

Suddenly, Rudy felt the locker door slam against the back of his head. The rich boy groaned as he rubbed the spot, before turning to see a group of boys laughing.

"Hey, Rudy. Beat up any little kids, lately?" One of them asked.

Rudy glared at him, mostly for the familiar sounding question, "Shut up! That's none of your business! And no! I haven't! So buzz off!"

The boys just shrugged and walked away, while still snickering. Rudy growled as he shut his locker and headed to homeroom. He was faced with more cold stares from the rest of his classmates. The more cold one, was, of course, Bill's. The only ones not glaring the rich boy down were the rest of the gang. Albert specifically had a more sympathetic look.

_Well... at least not everyone in the gang hates me... _He thought as he took his seat next to Donald.

Miss Wucher came in to start today's lesson. Much to Rudy's relief, the teacher didn't seem to hold anything against him, even addressing him nicely. Though, that might just be her being professional.

The next class after Homeroom was Math. Before school was let out for winter break, they received one last test in the class to 'see how much they remembered' as Mr. Geo so nicely put it.

Rudy hated math with a passion, but he at least attempted to put effort into studying the subject (only in hopes of avoiding to repeat the class if he failed). He didn't expect to pass this test with flying colors, but he didn't expect to flunk either. He predicted a possibly C.

... What he DIDN'T expect or predict, was to see a rather large F on his test once it was handed back. He felt dumbstruck as he stared at the big red letter. How did he _fail_? He studied the best he could for this test. Even asking Albert for help. He knew he wouldn't ace it, but he didn't think he'd fail it either.

Hoping to find an explanation, he quickly looked over some of the questions. Before turning to Laverne beside him, "Hey... how did you do on your test?" He asked.

"Oh, I passed. I got a B." The girl replied. Rudy was relieved that she wasn't being hostile towards him at all. Laverne was kind to anyone, regardless of their actions.

"Can I see your paper? I wanna compare your answers to mine."

"Of course, Rudy."

With that, she handed her test to the boy. Holding both tests in hand, Rudy scanned them thoroughly and noticed something very quickly. Most of his answers were marked wrong, but when looking at Laverne's paper... she had some of the same answers... and they were marked correct.

There's been a mistake!

That's when he raised his hand to get the teacher's attention, "Mr. Geo. I think you made an error. I think you marked some of the questions wrong on my test, but they're actually right."

Mr. Geo turned to the boy with a frown, "Oh there's no mistake that I've made, Rudolph. I always check when grading tests."

"But you DID make a mistake. I have some of the same answers as Laverne, but hers are marked right while mine have X's. What gives?!"

"Rudolph, the only mistakes made are yours. If you wanna bring that F up to at least a B, then you'd better hope that little boy you've caused so much pain will snap out of his coma."

... Now it all made sense...

He was failed _on purpose!_

All because of what happened to Russell!

Rudy was tempted to rip his test up in anger but decided not too. He was in enough trouble as it is, no need to make the normally grumpy Math teacher more grumpy. Laverne seemed to have sensed his frustration, and placed a hand on his shoulder after class was over, "Don't worry, Rudy. It was only one test." She assured him sweetly.

"But he failed me on purpose!" Rudy exclaimed, "All because of what happened! I know I screwed up with Russell, but that doesn't mean the whole school needs to come after me."

"I know you didn't mean for anything to happen. I haven't known you for too long, but I know you're a good person who makes mistakes. And I'm certain Russell will be okay."

"I hope he makes it out of this alive! Because if he doesn't, then people are _really _come after me..."

Laverne then stopped to cup the boy's cheeks in her hand, "No they won't. Because you just made an honest mistake. You didn't mean to cause Russell to jump. And no matter what the outcome is, you shouldn't blame yourself for it. Don't let it get to you, okay?"

Rudy sighed, "I'll... I'll try. Thanks, Laverne. I'm glad at least one person here doesn't want to kill me."

"Of course. I'm always happy to help others."

"I can see why Albert liked you so much..."

With that, the two walked to their lunch period. Laverne offered to sit with Rudy, as he expressed the worry of nobody wanting to be near him. However, that proved to be false as they were joined by Albert and Donald (although he was a little reluctant to do so).

"Hey, hey, hey. How's your day?" Albert asked.

Rudy frowned, "Sucky. Mr. Geo gave back our tests from before the break, and I apparently failed. Not only that, but he failed me on purpose on account of what happened to Russell."

"W-Wow. T-That sounds bad." Donald couldn't help but mention.

"And unfair. You should at least talk to him." Albert added, "A teacher shouldn't make a student fail because of something they did."

"I tried!" Rudy groaned, "And all he had to say was unless Russell wakes up, I won't be getting a B. Even the teachers here wanna try and kill me for what happened! Don't they think I feel bad enough as it is!"

He dropped his head onto the table, as Laverne rubbed his back. Albert realized that this situation was very similar to what happened on the first day of school. And it could get more serious if something wasn't done.

"Rudy, try to take it easy. Don't let all these folks get to you. You made a mistake, no doubt about it. But we know you didn't want to hurt anybody, especially not Russell..."

"What difference does it make? Russell's practically on his deathbed because of me."

"Don't say that!"

"Y-Yeah..." Donald agreed, "Russell will be okay... won't he?"

"I don't even know..." Rudy sighed, "I... I feel so hopeless..."

"You've still got the gang..." Albert reminded him.

The rich boy looked at his friend, "Why bother mentioning them? Bill absolutely hates me, the others wanna pretend I don't exist. You and Donald are the only ones who seem to wanna still tolerate me. Yet I don't see why. I've caused enough trouble."

Albert smiled warmly, "Because we're friends. And friends don't give up on each other no matter what."

Donald nodded, "Y-Yeah. I-I admit I was a little scared after what happened, Rudy. But y-you're my best friend, even if you don't have no class."

Rudy smiled back, happy to see that his best friend was on his side. Donald may have been dumb, but he was definitely dependent. As the rich boy looked around, he saw something to be happy about.

It was Joyce Matthews.

They had met last summer when her producer dad was filming a movie in the junkyard. Rudy thought it was his big break, so he got close to Joyce to hopes of getting the chance to be an actor. Needless to say, it backfired on him, mostly due to the fact that Joyce had figured him out rather quickly, as this wouldn't be the first time a boy got close to her, only to get a job with her father.

And Rudy was just another statistic.

But after he rescued her from a group of thugs, they became friends for real. While they weren't dating, they were definitely close. Rudy spotted her walking by as he waved, "Joyce! Hey, Joyce!" He called.

Sadly, as soon as the girl made eye contact with him, she glared and kept walking with a huff. Rudy may as well have shrunk to the size of a mouse at this point. Even _Joyce _resented him now. And this was worse than when she found out he was using her.

Later on, the rest of the school day went okay for Rudy. Aside from the glares from other students, and a bit of hostility from teachers, he managed to survive the day...

Until after the bell rang. As Rudy was putting his things in his locker, he began to put on his coat when he was approached by Devery, "Hey, Rudy. I saw ya with that Laverne chick earlier. You finally got a girlfriend?" He asked teasingly.

Rudy rolled his eyes, "No, Dev. She's just a friend, and she's in one of my classes."

"Whatever you say, buddy. Hey, you up for hanging out at my house? We can play that new Brown Hornet game on my console."

"That... sounds nice."

Again, Rudy was relieved that there was someone else who didn't demonize him for recent events. The two walked out of the school building, where most of the students were already outside, talking or waiting for their parents.

"Devery!"

Both boys recognized that voice too well. Devery's younger sister, Melba, marched up to the pair, as she sent a glare at her brother, "What are you doing standing next to this... this... monster?!"

_Of course, Melba is mad. Russell's her closest friend. And I wouldn't be surprised if she was still upset about what I almost did to **her**... _Rudy thought.

"Um, I think I have a right to hang with my dude." Devery defended, frowning right back at the younger girl.

"Don't you know what he did to poor Russell?!"

... Poor Russell...

Those two words put together in the same sentence used to have Rudy triggered a few months ago, but now... he couldn't help but agree. Devery, yet again, defended himself, "Course I do. The whole school knows at this point. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna turn my back on Rudy just 'cause he made a mistake."

Melba's glare deepened, "A mistake that could cost my best friend his life! Also, you know Momma and Dad banned Rudy from our home, right?"

"What?!" Not it was Rudy's turn to glare, "I'm banned from your house, and you invited me to come over knowing that."

Devery shrugged sheepishly, "I was planning on sneaking you in..."

Melba rolled her eyes, before turning her glare, now even more stone-cold than ever, onto Rudy himself, "And you... you have a lot of nerve to show your face here at school after what you did."

"Not like I had much a choice..." Rudy muttered, "My folks pretty much pushed me out the front door."

"It wasn't enough you hurt Russell, but now you hurt him so much that he tried to _kill _himself! You claimed to have changed, but I haven't seen any improvement!"

The rich boy frowned deeper, "I know... I know I messed up. But I didn't mean for this to happen this time! Really I didn't!"

"You sure don't mean a lot of things, don't you...?"

That cold voice might as well have sent shivers down Rudy's spine due to the snow. Taking a deep breath, he turned to see Bill standing right behind him. His glare was even worse than ever, and Rudy felt like he would actually die from this one.

"You do a lot of crap, Rudy." Bill started, "You cause so much trouble, and then wonder why you get called no class a lot. It's a pattern actually. You do something, it causes problems for other people, then you feel bad, and try to fix it. And when everything all well and good, you learn something. But there's a problem with that..."

The Cosby boy took a step forward, and poked Rudy in the chest, "You actually don't learn anything! Y'know why? Because you then go do something else completely stupid! It's a neverending cycle with you! I can practically make a list of all the dumb stuff you've done!"

Rudy wanted to snap back so badly, but he knew what Bill was saying was true. No matter how many lessons he learned from his mistakes, he continued to make the same mistakes over and over.

"And what you did to my little brother is the dumbest and _worst _thing you've done! I forgave you the first time, was reluctantly, but gave you another chance the second time! But now... this is the third time! The _third_ time you've almost killed my brother! The _third _time you've put him in the hospital! And the _third _time he's been scared and paranoid because you can't keep yourself under control! How can you expect me to forgive you when this keeps happening?! And this time, my brother might actually DIE this time!"

Bill's rant was getting the attention of everyone in the yard, as they watched. Some were even commenting on things such as 'You tell 'em, Bill' or 'Give him what he deserves'.

"Bill..." Rudy started quietly, "I know you're angry... you have every right to be. But please... understand that I never meant for this to happen. You're right, I've got an issue, and I'm working on it. But you have to know how awful I feel about Russell..."

"Oh, and that's another thing..."

That comment came from Elaine, who walked up to stand by Bill's side, "You never care about the consequences of your actions until someone gets hurt." She said to Rudy. "It's sad that it has to take someone coming to harm's way for you to realize what's truly happened. You're a teenager, Rudy. And you should know not to do those things in the first place! You never learn from your mistakes! If you did, Russell wouldn't be in a coma right now! And how do we know that, should Russell get better, you won't do something even more stupid in the future!"

"It's definitely possible..." Melba added, "I'm honestly surprised no one in the Junkyard Gang, aside from Russell has gotten seriously hurt because of him. This is what I've been warning you about, Devery. He's a bad influence on you."

Devery looked at Rudy, before looking back at his sister, "No way, sis. I know Rudy, and I trust me. Besides, I've done stupid stuff too."

"But you never almost got anybody killed!" Bill replied, not once taking his eyes off of Rudy, "We just need to face the facts that Rudy is an insufferable no class jerk who can't be trusted to learn from his mistakes."

Almost everyone in the yard was agreeing, as they started calling Rudy out. Albert, who had stayed quiet, decided it was time to speak up as he walked over to get in the middle, "Hey, hey, HEY!" He called to get everyone's attention, "I've got something to say. Look, I know Rudy makes mistakes a lot. But he's not a bad dude. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Best keep Rudy's parents outta this, Fat Albert." Bill spat without any regret.

Gasps and murmurs were heard with that remark.

"Cool it, Bill." Albert warned, "I know you're upset about, Russell. But you shouldn't take it out on Rudy. He didn't mean for any of this to happen. At least not this time."

"I wish you'd stop defending him!" Bill's rage had hit a new high at this point, "You're so determined to show us that Rudy's better than he is, but what have we seen, aside from a few good deeds, that shows him in a good light? None? Thought so! Face it, Albert. No matter how hard you try, Rudy's never gonna change. Russell was right last summer. He really is NCE... No. Class. E-"

"SHUT UP!"

Before Bill could finish his sentence, he found himself sent into the snow, holding his cheek. Everyone gasped at what happened, before looking at Rudy, who's fist were clenched, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Shut up!" He repeated, "Just... shut up..."

Albert reached to grab Rudy's shoulder, "Take it easy, Rudy..."

"Aw man, he's at it again!" One boy exclaimed.

"Somebody stop him!"

Just as Rudy was calming down, he felt a snowball hit him square in the face. This was followed by a barrage of snowballs flying at the rich boy, along with other items such as notebooks, pencils, tree branches, and rocks. The only ones not throwing anything were Albert, Laverne, Joyce (who couldn't bring herself to do such a thing), Devery (who was trying to shield Rudy), Bill (who was recovering from the punch) and the rest of the Junkyard Gang.

Rudy himself tried to shield himself as much as he could, but couldn't avoid the assault. He managed to suffer a few cuts from the rocks thrown at him. Suddenly, they stopped. The boy looked up, only to find Bill tackling him to the ground, and punch him repeatedly in the face. But not for long as Albert was quick to pull the angry boy away, "Bill, calm down! All this fighting isn't doing anyone any good!"

"Let him go, Albert!" Said one girl, "Rudy needs that beating to know how Russell feels!"

"Bill should have revenge!" A boy added.

"This isn't right." Albert said, "Look, there's nothing wrong with being upset, but it ain't right to take your anger out on someone with violence. Like I said, everyone makes mistakes. But that's what makes us human. And we learn from our mistakes. You all say Rudy doesn't learn, but sometimes you have to learn the same lesson more than once. And what your folks think of you throwing stuff at my friend?"

That's when Laverne stood forward, "Albert is right. Rudy may not be the nicest person in the world, but he's not a monster. And it doesn't justify hurting him just because he accidentally hurt someone else. It's important to waive the wrongs of someone. I believe there's good in everyone, even the nastiest of people."

"I second that emotion." Devery added, "Rudy is a lot of things. He's stubborn, he's crazy minded, he's out of wack sometimes, he's dumb sometimes... he's... he's... well, you get the picture. Point is, everyone is a lot of things. But that's why I like him. I've done some stupid stuff before, but if I can learn from my mistakes, so can Rudy."

Everyone was letting what was said sink in. Some of them were starting to regret what they did, while others weren't so remorseful, Bill included.

But whether they were remorseful or not, it didn't matter to Rudy at all. As the rich boy stood up, shaking. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, both from the things thrown at him and Bill's punches. Blood streamed from his nose, and a big shiner laid upon his left eye.

Tears once again fell as he realized what happened. He let his anger get the best of him again, and he punched Bill for it. And in return received the equivalent of being stoned. Only he didn't die.

... He wished he did...

Not wanting to stay around any longer, he turned and ran out of the schoolyard, ignoring the calls of his name...

**Good lord. A lot happened. Rudy is pretty much treated the same way he was after what happened that summer, only worse this time. Albert and the gang, Laverne, and Devery seem to be the only ones who are sticking by him. And you have to admit, some of the other kids went a bit far, Bill especially. At least after Albert's speech, some of them are having second thoughts. But Rudy just can't take it anymore at this point. Next chapter, we'll see just how Rudy decides to deal with this situation. Until then, I'll see you guys later. And don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 4: Goodbye North Philly

**It is time... for another new chapter of NCP. This is where the main plot kicks in. Rudy has had enough of everything that's happened, and makes a decision that will, we all know, will come back to bite him later. Because let's face it, it always does. Let's see what happens. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 4: Goodbye, North Philly

Rudy ran as fast as he could, his tears leaving a trail as he did. He couldn't believe what had just happened to him, but he knew one thing...

He deserved it.

He caused a child to attempt suicide. Said child is now in a coma, and now the whole town basically in after him for it. And everything that Bill and the other kids said... it was all true.

No matter how many mistakes Rudy made... no matter how many times he learned from those mistakes...

He still kept making the same ones over and over.

And he's made a whole bunch of mistakes. Bill was right when he said he could make a list of those mistakes.

Gambling, using Joyce, playing a dangerous prank on Russell, betting their club money on the outcome of a baseball game, reading adult magazines, acting a fool in Miss Johnson's class, making fun of people, almost getting Mudfoot killed...

The list really goes on...

And despite those mistakes coming back to bite him, and with him making things right... he was still the same rich jerk with no class. At this point, he wondered why the gang hasn't kicked him out of the club yet.

And why his parents haven't disowned him yet...

Speaking of, when he finally reached his house, his parents were sitting in the living room when he came through the door, "Hello, Rudy." His mother greeted, only to be ignored when he continued to his room, "Rudy?"

As soon as they heard the door to his room close, they also heard loud crying. Worried, Mr. and Mrs. Davis got up to see why their son was so distraught. Mr. Davis gently knocked on the door, "Son... what's wrong?"

"Go away!" Was the tearful response.

"Dear, please, can we come in?" Mrs. Davis asked.

Rudy didn't say anything. He just continued to cry. So his parents just opened the door (since he didn't lock it) and were met with a somber sight. Their son was lying on his stomach on his bed, his face buried in his arms as he cried uncontrollably. His mother's heart went out to him as she rushed over to pull him into a hug, but as she did, she got a good look at his face.

"Rudy! What happened to you?" She asked.

"Who did this?" His father asked with a bit of anger in his tone.

Rudy sniffled as he wiped his tears, "The kids at school did this. They absolutely hate me for what I did to Russell! And I deserve it because I'm a disgrace! I'm an embarrassment! I'm a sham to our family! After what I did to that kid... I deserve to be beaten!"

Mrs. Davis cupped her son's cheeks in her palms, "Oh, sweetheart, don't say those things. You're a good boy, you know you are. Just because you made one mistake doesn't mean the whole world should turn on you."

"And don't tell us that nice 'ol Albert did this too." Mr. Davis added.

The rich boy shook his head, "No... he was one of the few sticking up for me. The others being Devery and Laverne. But even Joyce is against me... and Bill... he absolutely despises me for what happened to his brother. And it doesn't help that this is the third time this has happened! I don't blame him for being mad... I punched him today. I lost my temper AGAIN and I punched him!"

He then pulled away from his mother flopped back down on his bed, "The point is... I'm a screw-up. No matter what dumb stuff I do... I keep doing it and never learn from my mistakes... and you guys raised me better than this... you deserve better... everyone deserves better..." Tears started to fall once again, "I...I just wanna be alone..."

"Okay, dear. But let me help fix you up..." His mother replied.

"And I'd better make some phone calls." His father added, "Cause no one's gonna beat on my boy and get away from it."

With that, and after Rudy's injuries were treated, he was left alone. After about an hour, he looked out the window to see that it was snowing yet again. Would the sun ever come out at this point? What did it matter? He didn't deserve to see the light of day after what happened.

_Bill was right... Elaine was right... Melba was right... I **never **learn from any of my mistakes. I just keep doing stupid things over and over and over and over. I'm surprised I'm not in jail for half the stuff I did. I'm a jinx here in North Philly. Almost everyone I've come in contact with, I've caused problems for them._

The teen sat up as he wiped his face of tears, "North Philly is a cool place... I was born here, raised here, and I've done nothing but take advantage of it. Of its people. Of my friends... even of my own folks. They deserve better... they don't deserve to have someone around who does nothing but make everything a living Hell..."

That's when Rudy came to one possible thought. Could he...? No way, he couldn't do that. It would break his parent's hearts. It could make his friends worry (as if they'd care).

"I couldn't do that to them..." He said to himself, "But... it's for the best. Their lives would be so much better without me... I can't stay here. I'm a monster. I need to be somewhere... where I can start over... and be a better person..."

Standing up, Rudolph Davis now had a new objective.

He walked over to his closet and pulled out a dark blue duffle bag, before grabbing some clothes and stuffing them into the bag. Next, he grabbed a small chest that held the allowance he had collected over the past year. He grabbed the money and counted what he had, most of them being twenty dollar bills.

Two hundred and eighty-five. Almost three hundred.

He looked in the chest again and found some coins. There were too many to count, so after putting the dollars back, he placed the chest into the duffle bag. He then searched around his room for any hidden dollars. Eventually, he found about ten one-dollar bills, three five-dollar bills, and two twenty-dollar bills. Rudy knew that this wouldn't hold him for a year, but it would definitely be handy for now.

The boy placed the money in his chest... as he looked at something sitting on top of his drawer. It was a framed picture of the whole gang at the beach the previous summer. He took the picture and looked at it. He remembered that trip fondly. Swimming, building sandcastles and playing volleyball. They all had a great time that day.

Rudy clutched the picture close to his heart, now sad that the good times would be over, "It's for their own good..." He said, placing the picture into the bag, sitting it carefully between clothing so that it wouldn't break.

Now... he took a look at another framed picture on his bedside table. It was of him and his parents. It was part of a photo shoot they did when Rudy was eight, "Mom and Dad... I'd hate to leave them... but they deserve better than a son that's caused pain..."

He took the picture and placed it in the bag. After that, he started to put more extra stuff in the bag. Before he opened his backpack, dumped out his school stuff, save for an unused notebook. He tore out a sheet and began to write a message.

Soon... he was ready. With his bags packed, and his winter coat on, Rudy opened his window, shivering when the wind blew in. He didn't like the idea of escaping through the window, but there was no way he would make it out the front door with all of his stuff without his parents noticing. Taking a deep breath, he climbed out, before closing the window the best way he could.

Rudy carefully slid down the side of his house, before quickly making his way down the street. As expected, there wasn't much of anyone outside due to the snow. In fact, the wind started to pick up a little. A blizzard was definitely a possibility at this point. But Rudy didn't care. All he wanted, was to get out of this place as soon as possible. After about ten minutes, he found himself at a bus stop. The Greyhound usually comes around this time.

And sure enough, a bus was there. He didn't know where it would go from here, but as long as it was leaving North Philly... he didn't care.

He boarded the bus and paid for a ticket, as the driver asked, "Hey, a little young to be riding the bus by yourself, ain't ya?"

The rich boy just looked at the driver, "I'm... independent. I can take care of myself."

The driver chuckled, "If you say so. Where ya trying to get ta?"

"Anywhere but here."

With that, Rudy walked to the back of the bus, where he would have a seat on his own. As he sat down, and the bus started to pull off, he looked out the window to see the city sign. He sighed before leaning back in his seat. Was this really the best solution? Right now... it felt like it...

"Goodbye, North Philly. You're finally free of the No Class Monster..."

**And like that, Rudy is gone. He feels that, because of all the trouble he's caused, he should just up and leave North Philly to better himself as a person. But where will this decision take him? We'll see. Also, I realize that even back then, Rudy probably wouldn't be let on a bus at his age (he's fifteen in this), but I had to have him get out of the city somehow. Next chapter, we'll see everyone's reaction to his disappearance. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you guys later, and as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 5: Rudy's Gone!

**Hello! Here I am with another chapter of NCP. Last chapter, Rudy has left. In this chapter, we'll see his parents discover the news and the reaction of the other boys. Let's see how it all unfolds.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 5: Rudy's Gone!

It had been an hour since Rudy had left, and his parents had yet to find out. Mrs. Davis had been baking Rudy's favorite dessert in hopes of cheering him up, while Mr. Davis had made phone calls to file a charge against the attacks on their son.

As soon as Mrs. Davis was done baking after another ten minutes, she quietly walked to her boy's room to check on him, "Rudy...?" She called, softly knocking on his door, "I've made your favorite dessert."

No response.

"Rudy?"

She then turned the knob and opened the door... to see that her son's room was empty. This greatly confused her, before she closed the door and returned to the living room, where her husband sat reading the newspaper, "Dear... Rudy's not in his room." She said.

Mr. Davis looked up at his wife, "He isn't? He must've went out."

"That's strange, I didn't hear the door open. And he'd usually tell us if he's heading out."

"Well, the boy's been through a lot. Let's give it some time, and wait for him to come home."

"If you say so... I suppose I can do some laundry while we wait."

"And I'll catch up on my reading."

With that, the two continued with their business. Mrs. Davis grabbed a basket and began to pick up any clothes that were lying around, or in the bedrooms. She decided to start with Rudy's, as he wasn't always the tidiest of boys. She opened the door and began to look for any dirty clothes... when she happened to notice something on Rudy's bed that she didn't notice before.

It was an envelope resting on the pillow. Mrs. Davis set the basket down on the bed, before picking up the envelope, opening it, and pulling out a piece of notebook paper with words. She carefully read it... before letting out a startled gasp, loud enough to alert her husband.

"Honey, is everything alright?" He asked.

"No! No! Come here! Look!"

Mr. Davis hurried to his son's room, to see his wife with one hand over her mouth, and the other hand grasping the paper. Concerned and confused, he took the paper and began to read what was on it.

_Dear Mom and Dad_

_By the time you find this letter and read it, I am long gone, possibly out of state at this point. You may deny it, but I am clearly a burden and disgrace to the Davis family. I've caused nothing but trouble to anyone I've come in contact with, and you guys hardly notice because you're not around when those things happen. I've done a lot of messed up stuff, and I deserve everything I get._

_Out of everyone I know, Russell has suffered the worse. I let my bad temper get the best of me, and not only has he been traumatized for months, but now he's currently fighting for his life because of me. If he dies, then that makes me a murderer. As much as the little shrimp annoys me from time to time... I never wanted to see him die. I still don't. But now... things are different. And I deserve the death penalty for what I did._

_So... as much as this pains me to do, knowing how it'll affect you guys especially, I've decided... that I can't stick around here anymore. I'm nothing but poison to this city, my friends, you, and especially Russell. You all deserve better. You deserve to not have a no class jerk ruin your day. I don't know where I'm heading, or if I'll ever come back... but if I do... I hope to be a better person than I am now._

_With all of that said... this is goodbye, Mom and Dad. Don't look for me. Don't call the police. Don't even go to Fat Albert and the dudes for help. I love you, and I will always love you._

_Love, Rudy_

"Son..." Was all Mr. Davis said as he tried to process what he just read.

"Sweetheart, Rudy's run away!" Mrs. Davis sobbed, "Our little boy is gone!"

"Take it easy, honey." The father tried to comfort the mother.

"What are we gonna do? My baby is out there all alone in the cold weather..." She asked.

Rudy's father started to think, before leading his wife out of the room, "We can possibly check around. Rudy probably hasn't gotten too far away. Maybe we can still catch him. It's not like he took the bus or anything. Perhaps he's with one of his friends."

With that, the couple put on coats and headed out the door to their car. Hoping to find their son before he got too far. Little did they realize... was that he was pretty much far away..."

Meanwhile...

The gang... or what was left of the gang, hung out in the clubhouse, listening to Bill rant.

"Thanks to Rudy, I got in trouble with my folks!" He seethed, pacing back and forth, "Now I got a curfew, gotta do chores around the house, and I can't even watch the Brown Hornet for a month!"

Albert shook his head, "Bill, you wouldn't be in trouble if you didn't attack Rudy like that."

"He attacked me first! You saw! He punched me!"

"Listen, I know you're upset after what happened to Russell, but that doesn't mean you have to take it out on Rudy. That's the same mess we had to deal with before."

"Jerk shouldn't have hurt my brother then."

"I know. But still. Two wrongs don't make a right, Bill. Just take a deep breath and calm down..."

The Cosby boy frowned for a few more moments, before breathing in and out slowly, sitting down on the couch beside Albert, "I'm just so... so... mad. Rudy truly doesn't know when to stop his dumb stunts. And he wonders why he gets called 'no class' all the time."

Harold then spoke up, "Rudy may be a jerk most of the time... but I don't think he's that bad a person. He can be decent at times."

"And he has helped us a few times too..." Bucky added.

"Yeahb. He'sb notb always a badb dudeb." Mush also added.

Donald nodded, "I-I-I second that emotion... and besides, Rudy's my best friend. H-He a-always has my back when I need it."

"And if you haven't noticed. He really feels bad about Russell." Albert reminded Bill, "I don't he really meant to hurt him this time. And when Russell wakes up from his coma, I bet he and Rudy are gonna try to get along better."

Bill frowned again, "_If _he wakes up. From what I know, he hasn't been very responsive. And it doesn't help that he's so small. I risk losing my little brother, man. And that jerk has himself to blame if that happens. And if he knows what's good for him, he'll know to stay far away from me."

Albert sighed. He knew that Bill was mad, and he had every right to be. However, he didn't need to project his anger towards Rudy so much, even if the rich boy was mostly responsible for recent events.

Soon, there was a knock on the door. The large boy got up to open it, revealing the Davis', "Hey, hey, hey." He greeted, before noticing their worried looks, "Is everything okay?"

"Albert... have you seen Rudy?" Mr. Davis asked, "We thought he'd be here."

"I haven't seen him since he went home from school." He then turned to the other boys, "Have you dudes seen Rudy lately?" Once they shook their heads, he turned back to Rudy's parents, "None of us seen him. Why?"

Mrs. Davis then showed him the letter she found, "Rudy wrote this... he's run away... and we thought he might have come here."

Albert took the letter, and read it thoroughly, "Rudy's.. gone?" He asked in disbelief, "I never thought... I mean, he doesn't seem like..."

"We know..." Mrs. Davis responded, "He's never done anything like this before. We're so worried."

"Well, we can definitely help you find him. C'mon, dudes."

With that, the boys (and a very reluctant Bill), joined the Davis' on their search to find Rudy. The boys spread out throughout the town while Mr. and Mrs. Davis drove in the car. For about twenty minutes, they called Rudy's name, looked in obscure places, and even asked people if they knew anything. Unfortunately, they had little to no luck... until...

Albert and Harold had met up with Rudy's parents, having recruited some other kids in the search. Speaking of which, one of them, being Tommy Camden, a young boy the gang had met when he first moved into the neighborhood, ran up to them, "Hey, guys. I think I have an idea about where Rudy went." He said.

"You do?" Albert asked.

"Lay it on us, man," Harold asked.

"I talked with a lady, and she said that she was seeing her father off on the Greyhound bus about two hours ago, and saw a boy with an orange hat get on. I think that might have been Rudy."

With that one explanation, the Davis' worst nightmare had been confirmed. Their son had not only left the city, but he was also indeed miles away from home by now, possibly out of the state. The revelation caused Mrs. Davis to burst into tears as her husband held her tightly, "Don't worry, honey... we'll find him. I think the best thing we can do now is... let the police handle this. They can track him down and bring him home."

Albert then turned to Tommy, "Thanks for the information, Tommy. You were a big help." He said.

The young boy smiled, "Happy to help. And I hope they find Rudy before anything bad happens. There's a reason my parents always want me safe at home. Outside, especially in the snow, Rudy could get hurt. Or robbed. Or killed."

The mere thought of _anything _happening to Rudy was enough to make Mrs. Davis cry harder. Tommy then blushed when he realized what he said, "Oops... sorry, M'am. I didn't mean to..."

Mr. Davis nodded, "No harm done, son. You go home out of the cold. That goes for the rest of you boys. We'll take it from here. Thanks for the help."

With that, everyone went their separate ways. The gang had all met up again at the clubhouse briefly for Albert and Harold to inform the others of Rudy's possible whereabouts, "Rudy... really left North Philly." Donald said sadly, "My best friend... gone. Why would he leave us?"

"He felt like he was a bother to us..." Albert admitted, "I guess that he thought that if he left... things would be better around here."

"B-But.. it isn't. It really isn't!" Donald was close to bursting into tears, "I want my best friend back!"

Both Bucky and Mush starting patting their friend on the back for comfort. Harold then spoke, "What I wanna know is where Rudy thinks he's gonna end up. The Greyhound can take you anywhere. For all we know, he could end up in Florida. At least the weather is better there."

"Even so. Rudy shouldn't have had to do this. Sure, we all clash with him, but he's our friend. We just have to show him that we care. And that he has people here that care for him. Not to mention, running away never solves your problems. Tommy was right, he could get into trouble out there in this weather."

"I say good riddance..."

Everyone turned towards Bill, who was scowling, "That coward wanna up and leave, then let him. One less scum to deal with." He sneered.

Albert frowned at him, "Bill, you don't mean those things."

"You bet your Brown Hornet decoder ring I do. Rudy has always been a nuisance, and I would be thrilled to live a life that doesn't include him. And I don't care what happens to him at this point. As long as he isn't here to hurt the people I care about."

"Rudy's our friend. You mean to tell me you're not the least bit worried about what could happen."

Bill was going to speak again, before realizing he didn't know what to say. He just groaned before looking at his watch, "I... I gotta go. It's my curfew. I better split for home before my dad flips. See you tomorrow, dudes..."

With that, the Cosby boy left out the door.

"You think he actually cares about Rudy?" Bucky asked innocently.

"Deep down... probably. He just doesn't want to admit it.." Was all Albert said, "Anyways, we all better split for home. And... let's all pray that Rudy comes home safe and sound..."

**By now, the whole town knows that Rudy's gone. His mother is distraught, his friends are worried, Donald is heartbroken, and Bill pretty much could care less. But could he change his tune later down the line? Only time will tell. Next chapter we'll focus on Rudy again, and see where he has ended up at so far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	7. Chapter 6: On the Road

**Hello there, guys! I'm back with another chapter of No Class Pariah! It's been a while since I last updated this one, but I've been a little busy with the other stories. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this one. We're gonna shift the focus back to Rudy, and see where he's ended up at since running away from home.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 6: On the Road and Off the Road

Rudy rested silently as he stared at the window of the Greyhound. It had been almost two hours since he had left North Philly and started his journey to better himself. As he sat, he wondered if his parents had noticed he was gone. They have to by now...

_I really hate to do this... but it's for their own good... _He thought. _They deserve a son who doesn't screw them over or disgrace their family name..._

It was getting darker outside. One look at his watch and Rudy could see that it was almost ten o'clock. The driver had stated that they would be arriving at the next station in Baltimore very soon. He was out of state at this point. And from the looks of it, due to the snow, he may end up staying at the station overnight.

Soon, the bus had pulled up, and everyone had gotten out to warm up in the station.

Rudy grabbed his bags and walked inside, sighing at the warmth he was feeling. He sat down on one of the benches next to some people. He honestly had no idea where he'd be going at this point. The tickets he had would be for anywhere. As long as he got as far away from North Philly as possible.

As he sat down, he suddenly felt his stomach growling. The rich boy groaned when he remembered that he didn't pack any type of food.

Thankfully, he had enough money to simply buy some food, but where was he going to get any at this hour?

Rudy looked around until he spotted a vending machine. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his chest, opened it, and grabbed a dollar bill.

He walked over to the machine, put the dollar in... before the machine slid it back out, much to his confusion. He pushed the dollar back in... and it came out again. Third time... same result.

The rich boy groaned, "What is your problem, machine?"

Maybe it would take coins. So he retreated back to the chest to get four quarters. Thankfully, the machine took them, and Rudy was able to get a bag of chips, along with a soda can from a juice machine.

Now content, he sat down at the very back at the station lobby, as he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, being a fifteen year old on his own in the cold winter weather.

As he ate his chips, Rudy saw a small family walk in. A little boy (who looked to be no more than at least five. Maybe six) and his mother and father. He watched as they sat on a bench, with the father giving the boy a dollar bill.

"Why don't you go and get a little snack, son?" He asked.

"Okay!" The boy nodded.

With that, he walked over to the vending machine and put the dollar bill in the slot. Much to Rudy's surprise, it took the bill, and the boy pushed in the right buttons to get what he wanted.

_So the machine would take his dollar, but not mine._ He thought bitterly. _Rude..._

"See! I did it all by myself!" The boy grinned as he walked back to his parents.

"You sure did, dear." His mother smiled, picking him up and kissing him on the cheek.

"That's my boy." His father chuckled.

For some reason, looking at the happy family made Rudy feel... unhappy. But why? It was a rather cute moment...

That's when it hit him. Seeing that boy with his parents... reminded him of the times when he was that age with his parents. He remembered doing things for the first time, and his parents congratulating him on it and being proud of him.

And it made him unhappy now... he wasn't home... and would never get to share those moments with his folks again.

Also because of the person he's grown up to become, which made him feel worse.

_All those good times I had with my parents_... He thought, _They don't mean anything anymore after all that I've done... they deserve better... and I didn't deserve them..._

Soon, he finished his bag of chips and threw it away. That's when he started to feel sleepy and checked his watch. It was almost nine o'clock... he could use some shut-eye.

With that, Rudy lied down on the bench, covering himself with a blanket he packed and using his duffle bag as a pillow. Soon, he drifted off to sleep...

Ten hours later...

_"In other news, an Amber Alert has been set out for a North Philadephia teen."_

Rudy woke up to the TV in the lobby that morning. He had pulled his blanket over his head to feel warm, but after hearing the television, he peeked out from underneath to see what they were talking about.

The first thing he saw was... his picture, full name, age, height, weight, and physical description.

_"Fifteen-year-old Rudolph Davis was reported missing around six thirty-five this evening. His parents James and Rochelle Davis have suspected that he may have run away from home after finding a note written by their son. He was last seen boarding a Greyhound bus by a witness. If you know any information on his current whereabouts, call this number."_

... CRAP.

Rudy mentally cursed at himself for being so stupid. He _should've known _that his parents would call the police. Why did he even bother writing in his note _not _to? Great, now the cops were searching for him. He slowly sat up to see if anybody else was watching. They seemed to be... and if they turned around, they would see the boy the news was describing.

There was no way he was going to get anywhere without being recognized now.

Thinking fast, he removed his beloved orange flat cap and stuffed it in his bag. If there's one thing anybody would recognize him for... it was that hat. True, anybody person can wear an orange hat, but anyone who knew him knew that he never goes anywhere without his.

_Well, not only am I running away... I have to practically have to disguise myself so the cops won't find my tail... _He thought as he lied back down... just as the intercom came on.

"Attention, passengers. The bus to Washington DC will be boarding soon."

Washington DC, huh?

Part of Rudy wanted to get on that bus, but the other part was telling him to stay put. There was a high chance of the president finding him and throwing him right back to North Philly. He didn't want to take that risk...

However... it was much better than staying here and having these other people find him out.

Grabbing his stuff, the rich boy was about to walk back outside, but then remembered he had nothing to cover his head. Looking in his bag again, he pulled out a red hat, nearly identical to his flat cap. He put it on, feeling like a totally different person. He didn't know how well this would fool anybody, but it was an attempt to throw the police off his trail... hopefully...

_I feel like a fugitive... _He thought, _This is gonna come back to bite me, I just know it. But I gotta keep going... no turning back now..._

And so, Rudy walked outside and boarded the bus bound for DC. According to the driver, they would mostly be passing through the nation's capital and heading towards Easton, Maryland for the next bus stop.

Like before, he sat at the very back and settled in, waiting for other passengers to arrive, and the bus eventually pulled off. Added with the stop in DC, it took a good four hours to arrive in Easton.

Once hopping off the bus, Rudy walked down the street to find a good diner for breakfast. After that, he would some sightseeing, and get on the bus again to travel even further. He hoped to get as far away from Philadelphia as possible...

Soon, he found a Denny's that was still serving breakfast. Walking in, he ordered a plate of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. As he waited for his order, he looked around the place. Not too many people here. He didn't blame that issue, for even Maryland had to deal with the rough snowy weather.

A waitress brought his plate along with a glass of orange juice. Rudy took a moment to take in the fresh smell of the food. It reminded him of breakfast time at home. He remembered always waking up to the smell, always greeted by his mother with a balanced meal. It always helped him start his day.

"What am I doing?" He said to himself, "Stop reminiscing about the past, Rudy. You're not going back to North Philly! And that's final! You're. Not. Going. Back."

With a sigh, he began to eat his food, as a mother and daughter sat down beside him. Rudy felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see the little girl holding up a card of some sort, "Do you want this?" She asked sweetly, "My Mommy and I got an extra, and she said I can give it to someone else..."

Said mother walked up to her daughter, "It's a one-way bus ticket to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Susan and I are on our way there to head home. You look like someone who's trying to get somewhere too."

Rudy grinned a little as he took the ticket, "You might say so... thanks, M'am. And thanks, kid." He smiled down at the girl.

"You're welcome." She giggled.

_At least this saves me the trouble of buying another ticket..._

"Say, where are you from?" The mother asked.

_Uh..._

"Pennsylvania, Miss." Was his response.

"Aren't you a little young to be away from home so far? Where are your parents?"

_Oh boy, here come the questions. _

"I'm... I'm simply venturing out. I see myself as an independent dude. I can take care of myself... and my parents trust me."

The mother nodded, "I see. Well, you best be careful. Especially in this weather. It can get dangerous, even for a teenager."

"Believe me, I'm well aware..."

Rudy was thankful that the mother seemed to buy his story. There was no way he was gonna reveal the real reason he was here. Not now... not ever, "Um, how long 'til the next bus, Miss uh..."

"You can call me Miss Anderson." She smiled, "And it won't be until at least two..."

One look at his watch and Rudy could see he only had about two hours to go, "Right... thanks."

"No problem, uh..."

"... Rudy..."

_Nice going. Tell her your real name, Rudy. That sure won't give you away, especially if she's seen the news._

"Rudy? Is that short for Rudolph?"

"Uh, yeah..."

_Wasn't enough to just say your nickname. Give her your full name as well. Stupid, stupid, STUPID._

Miss Anderson nodded, "Well, Rudy. How about after we finish breakfast, I'll drive you to the station. If we get there early, we have a chance of getting on the bus as one of the first ones."

"Yeah!" Susan agreed, "Then we get the best seats."

Rudy nodded slowly, "That sounds... good. Thanks. Uh..."

"I know you were most likely taught not to take rides from strangers, but it's really a hobby of mine to take people where they need to go."

"Like a taxi driver."

"Something like that. But don't worry, I won't charge you."

"Thanks, I guess..."

The rich boy smiled to himself. Maybe this was turning out much better than he thought it would. This nice lady and her daughter gave him a ticket, and are offering him a ride to catch the next bus to Fredericksburg.- That was even further from North Philly... it may even be his new home...

... Okay, that he didn't know. But he had to get there first and see.

And nobody seemed to recognize him yet, so that was a good thing too...

_This is going well so far, Rudy... now all you have to do is not screw up, or else you'll be right back in North Philly..._

**So, Rudy's runaway is already on the news, so he's gonna do everything he can to not be found. And it looks like he's well on his way to Virginia at this point, with the help of a kind mother and daughter duo. Next chapter will follow this and we'll see how Rudy fairs in Fredericksburg, which will actually be the main focus location for him. Now, I know next to nothing about how the Greyhound bus works, and I'm sure there isn't a bus that goes from Easton Maryland to Fredericksburg, Virginia, but the plot needs to happen somehow, so bear with me. Anyways, I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**


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